‘There’s a Disconnect’: Educator Questions Baltimore County Schools’ Arrest Tracking

HUNT VALLEY, Md. (WBFF) — In July, a Baltimore County Public Schools employee was arrested in Delaware. It took BCPS 17 days to alert parents? Now one long-time educator is raising serious questions about how the school system tracks employee arrests.

Angel Lewis, for 24 years, has been working in public education first as a teacher and principal in Maryland, and now as a special education consultant for school systems nationwide. And she says the length of time it took BCPS to alert the public is concerning.

“Absolutely,” Lewis told Project Baltimore. “That is well beyond what the norm would be.”

Over the past week, she’s been watching Project Baltimore’s reporting concerning the arrest of BCPS employee Jesse Wasmer – and why it took more than two weeks for the district to notify parents.

Angel Lewis works as a special education consultant for districts nationwide (WBFF)

“The first priority in any school building is safety,” said Lewis.

“The first priority in any school building is safety,” said Lewis.

Now, we’re learning more that could help explain why parents were not alerted immediately to the arrest.

“There’s a disconnect happening somewhere,” stated Project Baltimore’s Chris Papst.

“Absolutely,” replied Lewis.

“And it’s important we figure out where?” Papst Questioned.

“Absolutely,” responded Lewis. “Because unfortunately that may not be the only employee.”

Delaware police confirmed to Fox45 News when Wasmer was arrested, his fingerprints were sent to the FBI’s Next Generation Identification System (WBFF)

ALSO READ | When and how did Baltimore County Schools learned of employee’s arrest? District won’t say

On July 15, New Castle County Police raided the Crystal Spa in Wilmington, Delaware as part of a human trafficking investigation. Wasmer was located inside the spa and was arrested and charged with Attempting to Commit Patronizing a Prostitute.

Delaware police confirmed to FOX45 News when Wasmer was arrested, his fingerprints were sent to the FBI’s Next Generation Identification System.

At that point, BCPS could have received an alert that Wasmer was arrested from the Record of Arrest and Prosecution Back, or Rap Back, system. Here is how it works according to state officials: when a school employee is hired, they are fingerprinted as part of the state-mandated background check process, then the fingerprints are evaluated by the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System and are later transferred to the FBI’s Next Generation Identification System.

How the Record of Arrest and Prosecution Back, or RAP Back, system works (WBFF)

This means if a school employee is arrested and fingerprinted outside Maryland the district could receive an alert notifying them of the arrest if the district is enrolled in the Rap Back system, which, according to state officials, is encouraged, but not mandated. So, Project Baltimore asked BCPS Superintendent Dr. Bill Heiser earlier this month if the school system is enrolled in Rap Back.

“We are not,” stated Heiser.

“You’re not enrolled,” Papst stated.

“We’re not enrolled in that,” Heiser confirmed.

“Is that a problem?” Papst asked.

“I don’t know that it’s a problem,” Heiser answered. “It’s something for me to look at again as I’m in my fifth week as superintendent here. You can bet that all matters are on the table in order to keep students, employees, schools safe. And if communication is a part of that, and we should move in that direction. I’ll assess that and I’ll make the right decision.”

ALSO READ | Why did it take 17 days for Baltimore County Schools to alert public of employee arrest?

“This is concerning for me as an educator and both as a parent and a community citizen, because this is the bare foundation,” remarked Lewis. “So, if you miss this, what else are you missing that is greater than this?”

Since BCPS is not enrolled in Rap Back, the district likely would not have received an arrest notification. Citing a “personnel matter”, BCPS will not say when, and how, it was made aware of Wasmer’s arrest. But the district did not notify parents that Wasmer was placed on leave and barred from school until August 1, the day after FOX45 News emailed BCPS asking if the Wasmer arrested in Delaware was employed by the district.

“I would say the school district needs to do an internal audit, an investigation to find out exactly where the disconnect happened,” Lewis told Project Baltimore.

Follow Project Baltimore’s Chris Papst on X and Facebook. Send news tips to cjpapst@sbgtv.com